leafyseadragon
Aquarium Advice Freak
I have been cycling my empty 37 gallon, 12 lbs LR, 31 lbs BR tank for five weeks now. The ammonia levels have subsided to zero, and I'll have to double-check the nitrates and nitrites tomorrow.
But assuming all levels have zeroed, I plan to do my first water change Friday before I start adding fish. My tank has been empty since the cycle, not even snails or hermit crabs. As a result, there is a nice brown carpet of diatoms on the surface of the sand, the rocks. Well, just about everywhere in the tank.
I am wondering what should I do about the diatoms. Should I use the powerhead as an underwater leaf-blower, stir up the diatoms and suck out as much of them as I can as I siphon out the water, or should I just leave it as it is? It looks unsightly to me, but I assume the animal life doesn't care.
But assuming all levels have zeroed, I plan to do my first water change Friday before I start adding fish. My tank has been empty since the cycle, not even snails or hermit crabs. As a result, there is a nice brown carpet of diatoms on the surface of the sand, the rocks. Well, just about everywhere in the tank.
I am wondering what should I do about the diatoms. Should I use the powerhead as an underwater leaf-blower, stir up the diatoms and suck out as much of them as I can as I siphon out the water, or should I just leave it as it is? It looks unsightly to me, but I assume the animal life doesn't care.